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A recent interview with James Toney.
No Appeal from Toney
Heavyweight James Toney will not appeal the decision to annul his WBA title victory over John Ruiz following a positive drugs test.
Toney became only the third former world middleweight champion in history to win a heavyweight belt at the same standard when he out-pointed Ruiz on April 30.
But after failing a post-fight doping test, officials declared the bout a no contest.
American Toney stressed that what he took was a legal medicine prescribed by a doctor to treat an injury and said if the fight had taken place in the summer as originally planned, the substance would have been out of his system.
“It’s not a drug to make me all big and strong,” Toney told ESPN television in the United States.
“My body looked terrible that night.
“I don’t blame nobody. I don’t blame myself, I don’t blame the doctor, it was an honest mistake. I didn’t do anything to try and cheat anybody.
“I’ve had 74 fights without it. Why would I take steroids to beat John Ruiz? That’s ridiculous.”
Toney, who has received a 90-day suspension, has been given 30 days to challenge the test’s result, should he change his mind.
The much-criticised Ruiz announced his retirement immediately after the fight but soon went back on that decision and has been reinstated as WBA champion following Toney’s positive test.
Innocent but no appeal?..........
No Appeal from Toney
Heavyweight James Toney will not appeal the decision to annul his WBA title victory over John Ruiz following a positive drugs test.
Toney became only the third former world middleweight champion in history to win a heavyweight belt at the same standard when he out-pointed Ruiz on April 30.
But after failing a post-fight doping test, officials declared the bout a no contest.
American Toney stressed that what he took was a legal medicine prescribed by a doctor to treat an injury and said if the fight had taken place in the summer as originally planned, the substance would have been out of his system.
“It’s not a drug to make me all big and strong,” Toney told ESPN television in the United States.
“My body looked terrible that night.
“I don’t blame nobody. I don’t blame myself, I don’t blame the doctor, it was an honest mistake. I didn’t do anything to try and cheat anybody.
“I’ve had 74 fights without it. Why would I take steroids to beat John Ruiz? That’s ridiculous.”
Toney, who has received a 90-day suspension, has been given 30 days to challenge the test’s result, should he change his mind.
The much-criticised Ruiz announced his retirement immediately after the fight but soon went back on that decision and has been reinstated as WBA champion following Toney’s positive test.
Innocent but no appeal?..........
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